Religion News: Panel named to study women as deacons

Thursday

Aug 4, 2016 at 2:01 AM

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WEEK IN RELIGIONAfter making headlines in May for calling for the exploration of women being ordained as deacons in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis followed through on his pledge by appointing seven men and six women to a panel to study the topic on Aug. 2. The panel includes two Americans — Phyllis Zagano, who is a Catholic scholar who teaches at Hofstra University; and the Rev. Robert Dodaro, president of the Augustinianum University in Rome. The panel will be headed by Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, who is second-in-command at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Currently, deacons (which are ministers specifically dedicated to doing charitable works) are “mature” men over 35 that have been ordained. Despite the role being traditionally male, the growth in participation of women in ministry and church life has been enormous during the past few decades and has brought about questions of what a deacon is. The panel will also examine the historical role of women in the early years of Christianity. Although the panel has been established, it remains unclear whether the commission will make any conclusions or whether Pope Francis would support women being ordained as deacons.— More Content Now

SURVEY SAYSMost Americans identity themselves as Christians, according to a recent ABC News/Beliefnet poll. In answering the open-ended question, “What if anything is your religion?” 83 percent of Americans identified themselves as Christians, 13 percent answered no religion and 4 percent fell into the non-Christian religion category (Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.). Compared to the rest of the world, 52 percent consider themselves as non-Christian and only one-third identify themselves as Christian. — More Content Now

GOOD BOOK?“Resurrecting the Idea of a Christian Society” By R.R. RenoAmerica’s two greatest strengths — her liberal democratic culture and her free-market economy—have made her a global superpower. But left unchecked, these two strengths can become great cultural weaknesses, sowing selfishness, recklessness, and apathy. In “Resurrecting the Idea of a Christian Society,” theologian R. R. Reno argues that America needs a renewal of Christian ideals — ideals that encourage self-sacrifice, responsibility, and solidarity. Drawing on T.S. Eliot’s 1940 essay “The Idea of a Christian Society,” Reno shows how Christianity encourages “an abiding ambition for higher things” and a “moral vision” that can strengthen communities and transform America into a truly great nation.— Regnery Faith

THE WORDrevelation: In monotheistic religions, revelation is the process through which God reveals or communicates truths about God’s self or will. — ReligionStylebook.com